A large dose of bad medicine

Mayor Bob Filner has proposed a new ordinance that would again allow marijuana dispensaries throughout much of San Diego. It is a weak ordinance that does nothing to regulate marijuana as the medicine its advocates claim it to be. That alone is reason to reject it. There are many others.

Here is what just some of the experts say about the serious health and safety issues involving marijuana:

The California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment

In June 2009, this state agency said its science advisory board “determined that marijuana smoke was clearly shown, through scientifically valid testing according to generally accepted principles, to cause cancer.” For that reason, it added marijuana smoke to the official list of substances known by the state to cause cancer.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse

In December 2012, this agency reported: “Research has shown that, in chronic users, marijuana’s adverse impact on learning and memory persists after the acute effects of the drug wear off; when marijuana use begins in adolescence, the effects may persist for many years. Research from different areas is converging on the fact that regular marijuana use by young people can have long-lasting negative impact on the structure and function of their brains. ...

“Contrary to common belief, marijuana is addictive. Estimates from research suggest that about 9 percent of users become addicted to marijuana; this number increases among those who start young (to about 17 percent, or one in six) and among daily users (to 25-50 percent). Thus, many of the nearly 7 percent of high-school seniors who (according to annual survey data) report smoking marijuana daily or almost daily are well on their way to addiction, if not already addicted (besides functioning at a suboptimal level all of the time). ...

“The amount of THC in marijuana samples confiscated by police has been increasing steadily over the past few decades. ... Increases in potency may account for the rise in emergency department visits involving marijuana use. For experienced users, it may mean a greater risk for addiction if they are exposing themselves to high doses on a regular basis.”

The American Lung Association

In November 2012, the association reported: “Marijuana smoke contains a greater amount of carcinogens than tobacco smoke. In addition, marijuana users usually inhale more deeply and hold their breath longer than tobacco smokers do, further increasing the lungs’ exposure to carcinogenic smoke. Marijuana use is not only associated with adverse physical effects, but also mental, emotional and behavioral changes.

“People who smoke marijuana frequently, but do not smoke tobacco, have more health problems and miss more days of work than nonsmokers. Many of these extra sick days are due to respiratory illnesses.”

Mayor Filner’s compassion for truly sick people who do get relief from marijuana for serious and sometimes life-threatening diseases and conditions is well-placed.

But that is not what this proposed ordinance is about. This ordinance is about back-door legalization of marijuana for recreational purposes, and taxing it to make a few bucks for City Hall in the process. And it should be rejected by the City Council.